Why did electric grids buckle under intense cold? Here s what s to blame and not Sarah Spicer and Katie Bernard, The Wichita Eagle
Feb. 17 TOPEKA As residents across the Midwest braced for continued power outages and frigid temperatures, Kansas state Sen. Mike Thompson pointed the blame at renewable energy.
In a Facebook post, Thompson, a Shawnee Republican and Chair of the Senate Utilities Committee, warned that frozen wind turbines and sparse solar energy were hurting the state s energy capacity. This is why the expansion of renewables is dangerous for us going forward. We are putting to much reliance on sources that cannot meet our needs, especially in times like this, Thompson, a former TV meteorologist, wrote.
photo by: AP File Photo
A row of 260-foot-tall wind turbines churn out power at the Smoky Hills wind farm near Lincoln, Kan. Saturday, Jan. 26, 2008. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Lawrence city officials say a bill that Kansas legislators are referring to as the “Energy Choice Act” is an attempt to limit local governments’ ability to move toward more renewable energy sources and combat climate change.
Last year, Lawrence joined other communities across the nation by setting specific goals for renewable energy use, with the ultimate goal of powering the entire city with all renewable energy by 2035. The Energy Choice Act, or Senate Bill 24, was introduced earlier this month with the backing of natural gas companies.
In Kansas and Missouri, critics say the “energy choice” legislation is in direct conflict with cities’ commitments to transition from fossil fuels.
Kansas and Missouri may become the next states to block cities from banning natural gas, with hearings on legislation in both states expected soon.
Although natural gas bans at this point are more of a coastal phenomenon, many Midwestern cities have adopted climate goals that will be difficult to achieve with continued reliance on natural gas. More than two dozen Missouri cities, including Kansas City and St. Louis, have established clean energy goals, along with Lawrence, Kansas. A coalition of Kansas City suburbs recently adopted a climate plan committing to providing city services using only clean energy by 2030, and for all community energy use to be sourced from renewables by 2035.
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